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Thursday, October 28, 2010

About the Book: An inside look at the life of Comedy's Lovable Queen of Mean, Lisa Lampanelli, as she dishes on everything from relationships, food, and fat to why once you go black, you never go back

In her jaw-droppingly hilarious and politically incorrect memoir, Lisa reveals all—including the dysfunctional childhood that made her the insult comic she is today, the subject for which she's best known (black men, black men, and more black men), and her hilarious struggles with her addiction to food and hot guys. By telling her story in her very real, very candid, very open way, Lisa shows her audience that it's okay to be yourself, even if it's just one rehab stint at a time. Lisa also takes readers behind the scenes at the roasts that have marked her comedy career and launched her into the comedy elite, and reveals the important "firsts" in her career, including her first time on her hero's program, The Howard Stern Show.

Chocolate, Please is a side-splittingly funny portrait of the woman behind the award-winning insult comedy

Our Take: Who doesn't love Lisa Lampanelli? She is without a doubt in the list of top five comics in the business right now. You've seen her on the Comedy Central Roasts and heard her on Howard Stern. She's always funny...always mean and never fails to deliver! My wife and I saw her recently at a house show, she killed. It was amazing. Her delivery is flawless and her insults fly off her tongue with grace and elegance.

Lisa's book, Chocolate, Please, is now on paperback, so we thought we'd give it a read. Her stories are hilarious, maybe even funnier than her insults that she is so famous for. Lisa's take on life and love is not only insightful, but its beyond funny. You'll laugh....and well, you'll laugh. This book is a keeper and would make an ideal Xmas gift.

Lisa Lampanelli's Rules to Live By

Husbands and Other Useless Entities in the Delivery Room
Recently, it has become popular to turn the delivery room into a cocktail party with guests enjoying snacks and breezy conversation while Mom is getting tortured. They think it’s going to be fun to watch until they spend some time there. Every type of bodily function is on display and coming at you in 3-D. It’s like a Gallagher concert, except it’s entertaining.

Passing Down the Family Name
People feel the need to pass on their entire name to their offspring, as if the last name ain’t bad enough. Why give the kid both names? It’s a well-known fact that nobody likes sequels.

Family Trees/Genealogy
Family trees only matter if you’re betting on a horse or want to be a made member of the mob. Everyone’s family tree starts with a monkey and ends in disappointment.

Italian Families vs. Normal Families
Italian families are different from normal families. And by “normal,” I mean WASP families. There are many reasons for these differences. The first is volume. Italians whispering is screaming to a WASP.

Family Vacations
The term “family vacation” is an oxymoron. If you’re stuck with your family, it ain’t no vacation. We should call family vacations what they are: “Countdown to Dad’s public tantrum.”

Interventions
Interventions are a great way to lose a friend. That is because people don’t want to hear the truth about themselves. Addicts know they have a problem. Interventions are as bad as telling someone her boyfriend is cheating on her. Let her find out on her own. Remember: They always shoot the messenger.

Texting While on Dates
Texting on a date is completely inappropriate unless it’s a blind date, and by “blind date,” I mean the other person is blind. What could be more important on a date with me than me?

About the Book: When Star Wars debuted in 1977, it revolutionized mainstream American filmmaking, transporting fans to new galaxies and introducing them to countless now-classic characters, aliens, planets, and starships. In the decades since, the Star Wars Saga has become a phenomenon impacting cultures across the globe.

Our Take: We love Star Wars here at the Legion and we also love art books. What happens when the two merge? A fantastic new title Star Wars Art: Visions! There is a TON of Star Wars art out there, but this book collects some of the most interesting pieces into one nice hardcover edition.

The pieces range from the absurd and odd to the action-packed and stunning. There is everything from parody to serious tribute in this book and its all good. Star Wars is an amazing franchise and books like these really show what a force (no pun intended) it is on pop culture still in the 21st Century!

This book is highly recommended for ANY Star Wars fan...you won't be disappointed.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Thunderstrike #1 (of 5), from creators Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, and Todd Nauck! Years ago, Eric Masterson laid down his enchanted mace -- and his life -- in defense of his fellow Avengers. From the halls of Valhalla to the streets of New York, scant has been heard of the hero known as Thunderstrike since…until now. Has an unknown force returned him to the realm of the living? Or has his enchanted weapon finally sought out a worthy successor? And just why are Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter in a race against the clock to discover the truth? Lightning will strike twice as a legend returns to the Marvel Universe this November in Thunderstrike #1 (of 5)!

Friday, October 15, 2010

About the Book:With the addition of just a few letters or an image the simple T-shirt can become a personal billboard. What started as the standard issue undershirt of the U.S. military, by the mid-1970s had evolved into a means of self-expression and individualism. Musical taste, political slant, favorite TV show or movie, vacation destination and brand preference — it's all on a tee.

From DIY to the mass market, the printed T-shirt has been embraced by fashion designers and artists, street culture and brand-building corporations. Yet its basic form and function are unchanged. This quintessentially American item — best teamed with a pair of blue jeans — remains the simplest and most direct way of broadcasting our ideals and allegiances, sense of humor and cultural passions.

Selected from the collection of Patrick and Marc Guetta, owners of World of Vintage T-Shirts on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, this book assembles over 650 stone-cold classics of the genre. Drawn primarily from the golden era of the 1970s and 1980s, these vintage T-shirts are not merely nostalgic artifacts; they represent an historical record of political, popular and corporate thought in America. Vintage T-Shirts documents the most striking variations on this infinitely versatile garment.With an introduction on the history of the T-shirt in American popular culture by Alison A. Nieder, Vintage T-Shirts is an essential work of reference for anyone interested in pop culture, fashion, or graphic design

Our Take: The title of this book is Vintage T-Shirts and boy, they aren' t joking! This book is oozing with picture after picture of amazing t-shirts from yesterday! This sucker is heavy with almost 400 pages of retro-goodness!

The subjects covered on the shirts are everything from bands to movies, pop-culture references and cartoons! I saw shirts from Star Wars, Ninja Turtles, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mr. T and more! Does it list EVERY shirt? Of course not, because in the age of iron-ons there were a ton of options, but I found a number of shirts that I used to own in there and many others that I recognized. This is a great reference guide and a very, very fun book to have around and enjoy. It should definately grace your coffee table!

About the Book: The world of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was inhabited by denizens of the street and night life of fin-de-siecle Paris - with its dance halls, bars, brothels and circuses. Portraying this world in his paintings, drawings , posters and prints, Lautrec created a vibrant body of art that earned him lasting renown. Lautrec was born in 1864 into one of the oldest noble families in France. At the age of 13 it was discovered that he suffered from a genetic defect that prevented the bones in his legs from continuing to grow. Small in stature and singular in appearance, Lautrec lived his life with a passionate intensity, choosing to dwell among the Bohemian and exotic characters he depicted in his canvases. He died at the age of 37 after excessive drinking had severely debilitated and finally destroyed him. During his short career, however, he not only painted, drew, and designed posters, but also worked with stained glass and bookbindings. The essays in this book discuss the full range of Lautrec's career and artistic activities - from his youthful sketchbooks and examples of applied art to the seminal pictures and posters at the end of his life. The essays also focus on the cultural milieu and social history of the period, analyzing the marketplace in which Lautec worked, the implications of his exhibitions and his association with other artists, designers and literary figures. The book is the catalogue for an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London from October 10, 1991 to January 19, 1992 and at the Grand Palais in Paris from February 18 to June 1992.

Our Take: I am a lover of art and I am myself an artist...and one my all-time favorite artists is Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec! You may not know the name instantly, as he is far from a household name like Van Gogh or Degas, though he studied with them. You may know him from his most famous work from within the infamous Moulin Rouge. He was even portrayed in the famous movie by John Leguizamo.

Those that have an interest in art should definately check out Toulouse, his work was amazing. He had a sketchy style that was impressionist in nature, but really pushed the boundries of what that meant with his often lurid subject matter. This book by Matthias Arnold is a great little biography, coupled with dozens of full-color glossy pages of his work. Its a fantastic read and a nice little book to have around the house for all to enjoy!

About the Book: This compelling book provides a historical, cultural and scientific look at mummies and mummification and proves that fact is as compelling as fiction. As the companion catalogue to the Mummies of the World exhibition, this book features mummies from a variety of natural environments and several cultures, including Asia, Oceania, South America, Europe and Ancient Egypt.

The book reveals not only many of the techniques that ancient cultures used to preserve the bodies of the dead, but also the many natural processes leading to the preservation of bodies in desert sands, ice or acidic bogs, or even in attics.

Nearly thirty scientific essays, with outstanding photographs and illustrations, bring together the latest research in mummy studies, with contributions from archaeology, anthropology, palaeopathology, biology and many other disciplines. With dignity and reverence, this volume shares the hidden information contained within the mummies.

Our Take: When I first looked into this book I figured it'd be another book about Egypt. You hear the term Mummy and thats just where your mind goes. Don't be fooled! This book is so much more than that!

Mummies of the World is a fantastic book by Alfried Wieczorek and Wilfried Rosendahl that delves into not only the idea of mummification, but the decomposition of the human body and the extensive science behind it all. This isn't light reading, but its FULL of great information on a unique subject. You won't find a better resource for the topic than this, we highly recommend!

Acrylic is often used as a substitute for oil paint or watercolor, but the real gold mine is in allowing the medium freedom to do what it does best. This book shows how today’s artists are doing exactly that. It’s loaded with original artwork and valuable insight from 64 artists, incredibly diverse in styles and subjects, each using acrylic in unique ways to create expressive and personal art.

· 64 artists offer their individual ideas, approaches and inspirations for working with acrylic paints

· 29 styles, ranging from photorealism to minimal color field and everything in between, are explored through artist profiles, artwork and boundary-breaking “challenges” that provide dynamic starting points for your own art

· 29 step-by-step demonstrations illustrate acrylic-driven techniques you can take straight to your work, including collage and assemblage, reverse painting, printmaking, accidental stenciling, working with metallic mixtures and more

A follow-up to the best-selling Acrylic Revolution,Acrylic Innovation takes you outside your comfort zone. Dip in whenever you feel the urge to experiment, have fun and see fresh and exciting results.

Our Take: We love art instruction and tip books here at the Legion! I'm an exhibiting artist and I've worked rather extensively with acrylic myself, so I was curious to see if this book had anything to offer and how helpful it really would be.

I found that most of the tips were sound and well explained. There are a few that require more visuals to show the steps involved, unfortunately when you're a professional and you can do something so simply, you forget that others may feel lost in your minimal instruction. The book also comes with a handy-dandy CD that will help guide you through some of the tips.

Overall though, a great book and definately something to check out if you're into painting with acrylics.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

About the Book: Here are 100 of the most important, most incredible, and most bizarre comic-book covers from DC's incredible archives all perforated and ready to display in your apartment, dorm room, or cubicle. From Action Comics #1 and Batman #1 to lesser-known heroes like Mister District Attorney, this oversized compilation features every major milestone in DC's extraordinary history: Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, Watchmen, Fables, 100 Bullets, and much more.

On the reverse of each poster are images of related covers and entertaining commentary, often with remarks from the cover artists themselves. Complete with a foreword from longtime DC Comics veteran Paul Levitz, this amazing anthology is a must-have item for any comic-book fan.

Our Take: We are into any Batman or Dc Comics related book that comes out. We'll give them all a fair shake. I actually really enjoyed this DC Comics poster book by Robert Schnakenberg, because it was light reading. The posters in the oversized book come with perforated seams, so that you can tear them right out and frame or hang them on the wall. The book features a variety of covers from Superman and Swamp Thing to Batman and Wonder Woman. The covers all have a vintage feel to them too, its pretty fantastic.

We highly recommend this one, its a great gift for Xmas, but don't forget to pick one up for yourself!